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Explore Buffalo announces October tours and events

Sep 25, 2018 | Arts & Culture

The weather is changing, and Explore Buffalo’s inside tours and events have started! Additionally, Silo City tours will continue through the month of October as well as downtown and neighborhood walking tours. Please visit explorebuffalo.org for a complete calendar.

Annual Meat Raffle
Date: Friday, October 12
Time: Doors Open at 6 p.m., first spin at 7 p.m.
Place: Pvt. Leonard Post, Jr. VFW, 2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga
Cost: $5; admission includes beer, wine and pop. Note: Cash or check only.

Join us for a fun evening in support of Explore Buffalo’s many educational programs! Proceeds from this event support the ongoing mission of Explore Buffalo to promote Buffalo and Western New York history and architecture through quality education to learners of all ages. Bring your friends and enjoy this unique Western New York tradition while supporting the cause of promoting a better Buffalo through tours. No outside alcoholic beverages allowed. Bring your own snacks.

Tickets may be purchased directly from an Explore Buffalo volunteer or at the door on Friday, Oct. 12 at the Leonard Post VFW beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets can be reserved over the phone by calling (716) 245-3032 and then picked up and paid for during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday) at Explore Buffalo’s office in First Presbyterian Church at 1 Symphony Circle, Buffalo. Reservations recommended for guaranteed seating.

Inside St. Mary’s School for the Deaf
Date: October 10 at 6 p.m.
Place: St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, 2253 Main St., Buffalo. Enter the driveway from Main Street to use the parking lot which is behind the buildings; the main entrance faces the parking lot and is up a flight of stairs to the right of the bridge that the driveway goes underneath.
Cost: General $15, Student $10, Explorer Pass Holders $10. Tour admission fees are shared with the school to support their museum and archives.

St. Mary’s School for the Deaf, established in Buffalo in 1853 as the first academic school for the deaf in the country, was relocated from Edward Street to its current location on Main Street in 1898. This two-hour walking tour highlights the beautiful architecture of this historic building and offers fascinating information about the history and culture of deaf people in the Buffalo area. The tour also offers a glimpse into the current world of educating deaf and hard of hearing students in the 21st century.

Highlights of the tour include original woodwork from 1898, stained glass windows in the former chapel, the school’s cherished museum which houses a wealth of artifacts and photographs from throughout the decades at St. Mary’s, and a brief meet and greet with a few of the school’s residential students which comprise approximately 30 percent of the current school population. Join us for a one-of-a-kind tour in one of Buffalo’s iconic buildings!

Inside Tri-Main
Date: October 10, 24 at 2 p.m.
Place: Tri Main Center, 2495 Main St., Buffalo. Please note the main entrance to the building lobby is on Halbert Street, adjacent to the building’s parking lots.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Holders Free

Join Explore Buffalo for a tour inside one of Buffalo’s most historic industrial buildings! The Tri-Main Center’s history encompasses four different eras, beginning with Ford in 1915 and continuing through Bell Aircraft and Trico to the present day as a mixed-use facility housing over 100 different companies over six floors and 575,000 square feet. This tour will highlight the past, present and future of this massive building. As we wind our way through the Tri-Main Center, you’ll learn about the building’s history and see some of the current tenants. This tour is approximately one mile of indoor walking within the building. Stairs are typically used, but an elevator is available if needed.

Silo City Vertical
Date: October 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 at 10 a.m.
Place: Silo City, 120 Silo City Row, Buffalo. Turn from Ohio Street onto Silo City Row and enter Silo City through the gate. Ahead on your right will be a small brick office building where the tour will assemble. Ample parking is available on site.
Cost: General $40, Student $35, Explorer Pass Holders $35

Unlike any other in the world, this tour is a one-of-a-kind experience! We’ll take you to the top of two grain elevator complexes on this unique walking tour of Silo City. You’ll experience all of the history and mechanics of the grain elevator, as well as the malt production process on this 2.5-hour in-depth tour. Also included is a look at some of the regenerative projects ongoing at Silo City.

Please note that Silo City Vertical is not recommended for those with a fear of heights. Participants in this tour must be physically able to go up approximately 100 feet (10 stories) of stairs and a short interior ladder to reach the top, and then come back down! The elevators have been out of commission for years, so stairs are the only way to go.

Reservations are required for this tour! Due to space limitations, we must limit this tour’s group size to a small number. The minimum age for this tour is 14 years old. Please wear comfortable walking shoes; no sandals or open-toed shoes are permitted on this tour. The tour will proceed rain or shine.

Silo City Grounded
Date: October 4, 11, 18, 25 at 10 a.m.; October 7, 14, 21, 28 at 11 a.m.; October 13, 20, 27 at 1 p.m.
Place: Silo City, 120 Silo City Row, Buffalo. Turn from Ohio Street onto Silo City Row and enter Silo City through the gate. Ahead on your right will be a small brick office building where the tour will assemble. Ample parking is available on site.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Holders Free

At ground level, experience the monumental scale of the grain elevators constructed in Buffalo in the first half of the 20th century, and also see how they are now being repurposed. On this guided walk around the grounds of Silo City, you will enter the ground floor work areas of a flour mill, two grain elevators and a malthouse. You will also see new projects including “Elevator B.”

Advance reservations are encouraged but not required for this tour. This tour is between 90 minutes and two hours in length. Please wear comfortable walking shoes; no sandals or open-toed shoes are permitted on this tour. The tour will proceed rain or shine. Cameras are encouraged!

Silo Spin: Grain Elevators by Bike
Date: October 14 at 10 a.m.
Place: Riverfest Park at 249 Ohio St., Buffalo. Street parking is available along Ohio Street.
Cost: General $15, Student $5, Explorer Pass Holders Free

Following the invention of the grain elevator in 1842 by local merchant Joseph Dart, Buffalo quickly became one of the largest grain ports in the world. Towering grain elevators and silos were built lining the Buffalo River for the storage and transfer of grain. Many of these grain elevators still stand, and Buffalo today remains home to the largest collection of grain elevators in the world. On this guided cycling tour, you will see many of Buffalo’s grain elevators from a variety of vantage points and learn about their history. Be sure to bring your camera!

Helmets are required for all tour participants. Each tour participant must have a bicycle in good working condition; participants are also required to sign a waiver before the tour. The minimum age for this tour is 14 years old. Advance reservations are encouraged but not required for this tour.

This tour is approximately two hours in length. Please wear appropriate footwear and dress for the weather. In the event of heavy rain or other severe weather, this tour will be canceled.

City of Light Bus Tour
Date: October 6 & 20 at 1 p.m.
Place: Buffalo Seminary, 205 Bidwell Parkway, Buffalo.
Cost: General $40, Explorer Pass Holders $35

At the end of the 19th century, Buffalo was a major American city in the forefront of technological progress. It was a busy inland port and a railroad hub with heavy industry and state-of-the-art electricity – all of which brought great wealth to the city. These economic and technological developments culminated in 1901 when Buffalo hosted a spectacular world’s fair: the Pan-American Exposition.

Experience Buffalo through the eyes of the narrator of Lauren Belfer’s historical novel, City of Light, which is set in Buffalo at the dawn of the 20th century. Reservations are required for this tour! Space is limited on the bus. For check-in, please print your confirmation email or show it on your phone. The tour is three hours in length and includes some walking and stairs. The tour proceeds rain or shine.

 

Advance reservations are encouraged but not required for tours (unless otherwise noted). All credit card payments must be made in advance. Advance reservations with a credit card can be made online until the tour starting time. Cash or checks are accepted at the start of the tour. If you make an advance reservation, please print your confirmation email or be prepared to show it on your phone. Please visit the FAQ page on Explore Buffalo’s website regarding the refund policy and answers to many other questions.

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